Comments

1) they had NBC5 on in the voting room, which of course means campaign ads blaring. That can’t be right.

2) Dear State Representative McCasey: I vowed last time to never vote for you as long as you had people standing directly outside the door of my polling place asking for my vote. That hasn’t changed. The 100-yard electioneering line is being severely tested (even though the worker was nice enough).

I was putting up signs early this morning. About 5:30, a cabbie followed me from one polling location to another. He asked me if he was at the right place (he was). I, in turn, asked him if he was working the election today. He said no, he was just “dropping off the absentee ballots.” He had a list of polling locations in his right hand, with a few of them crossed off.

I don’t recall anything like that from my days as an election judge, but it struck me as odd. I thought everything was supposed to be found inside the large blue box officials open the morning of election day to set up.

Maybe things have changed, just seemed weird to me. I’m sure there’s some sort of logical explanation as well (I’m not big on conspiracy theories). Just sooooo odd. Other than that, all good!

7 a.m. on the north side of Chicago, no line, got right in, but when I left at 7:15 I was number 96 to insert ballot, but really that meant I was only number 48 since I had to insert two ballots, the second was for the recall constitutional amendment. There was a line of 10 people when I left which was heavy for a mid-term.

Last night when walking the dog, I saw a traffic circle had three signs planted in it just that day: Lisa Madigan, Quinn and Claypool all together.

I vote in Chatham (near Springfield. For what its worth in 2008 at 7:20am I was number 49 to vote in my precinct. I remember that because usually at that time I’m like in the teens. Today at 7:23am I was number 47. The wait in line was about the same as 2008 - 10 minutes.

After I voted 82 people had submitted ballots there were two volunteers at my polling place from the Alderman’s office. The weather had the sun peaking out but it was a bit nippy outside. Also had to navigate workers repaving a street.

Puzzling coordination by the republicans. By 5:45 there were only Kirk signs, while all of the dem signs were out. Someone showed up at 8:00 and put out Pollack signs, and an able bodied couple parked in handicap spot at 8:30 and put out the rest of the republican signs.

north side of chicago, no line, only one sign near the polling place (a Berrios sign) and no one handing out lit…confused pollworkers taking ballots from people and inserting into machine rather than having voters do it until the republican committeman showed up and explained to folks how to do it (seemed like honest mistake, not corrupt behavior)…republican election judge took about 5 minutes to find my name and my wife’s name as his bifocals weren’t working right (his words).

I spent three hours this morning at the polling place at Lambs Farm in Lake County holding a Kirk-Dold-Sugrue sign. Generally very positive reactions from people going in to vote. Made friends with a nice young lady who is a Carol Sente legislative aide (she got the day off and was paid to hand out literature) but she had difficulty getting anyone to take a flyer. The flyer itself had just Carol Sente’s name and Lisa Madigan’s name on it - nothing about positions, etc.

There was a line at 6:00. No Dems are standing in a line to vote in this election on a dark, chilly morning. In fact, if you don’t live in Chicago and aren’t getting dragged kicking and screaming to the polls (or being otherwise ‘encourged’ by those precinct captains) I wonder how many Dems are going to show at all.

In the City, 44th Ward, 50th/13th precinct (shared polling place), at 7:15 am there were only a handful of voters present. I was voter 62 in the 50th.

There were no workers outside for either party.

The election judges and voters were continuing to have trouble with the one touch-screen voting machine (all the others were paper fill-in-the-dash booths). The City Board of Elections really should reconsider the vendor they’ve chosen. These are the least intuitive machines I could imagine - there is not even a “cast my vote” button to touch! I am computer savy and cannot figure these out - imagine what someone uncomfortable with computers would feel!

Rampant rumors of voter intimidation and electioneering at polling places in Macoupin County. Democrat poll watchers have been caught showing people what spot to mark on the ballot. In Staunton and Gillespie, the Dems are giving out free flu shots to medicaid and medicare patients.

Haven’t voted yet myself, but the polling place across the street from my home on Springfield’s west side has been steadily busy all morning. It appears to be much higher turnout than the primary, and many Republican yard signs.

Voted at 9:45, was #331 in my precinct. Local democrats outside electioneering. Waited for about 10 minutes in line. Voted… but there was a problem… on the protector they give you so nobody can see who you voted for, it was about an inch too short…. So, if you voted for Bill Brady or Dan Rutherford, it was clearly visible when you showed the man at the machine the initials of the election judge. Oy… kind of off-putting….

North side Chicago, 44th Ward precinct 21. 8:15am all polling spots were taken with a 3-4 person line. No line out the door that 2008 was. Was told I was the 74th person to vote. No one outside the polling spot but Robin Kelly had flyers being passed out at the CTA stop down the street.

Mell’s polling location on NW Side… at 915 am this morning was number 72. No line but all 5 “booths” (that is being generous to the concept of a booth) were occupied. Judges said turnout was good and were sharing their coffee and donuts. Nice folks but not sure if they really had any idea turnout vs the last midterm. Weather could not be better. Democrat lit being handed out in front as per usual.
For what it is worth Berrios sure won the contest to have more signs in the neighborhood…

About 25 people voting at 7:30 this morning in my town here in DuPage. Folks in a good mood. No weird looking poll watchers like in some past years. None of the election staff were demanding photo IDs, like they did two years ago.

On another noter: We use the paper ballot which is counted electronically, just like the multiple choice tests back in college. This is the ideal way to go– fast counting of the votes but a clear permanent record of the votes. No black box voting here, thank goodness.

…sorry, would help to add that I was 72 of about 600 total voters that could come out at my spot. And paper ballot is old school? Wow we must be poor folk here in the city, ha, it has always been paper!

Expected to be a beautiful fall day in Chicago. Polling place by an El stop had little orange cones “no electioneering beyond this point” placed all of about 10 feet from the door of polling place. Which is a bar. Lots of signs, of course, and one guy collecting signatures for he-who-shall-not-be-named for mayor.